Nate's Next Kid Up: Toy drive created by 9-year-old coming up
Most young children are writing letters to Santa Claus and asking for toys, games, a new pet and — in this day and age — a cell phone.
But when Nate Gonzalez was 7, he told his parents he didn't want his gifts. He wanted to give them to children in foster care.
"It was very emotional," Nate's mom, Isabel Gonzalez, said. "Me and my husband were very shocked he wanted to give his toys away. It just showed that he has a big heart."
Isabel Gonzalez said she and her husband reached out to CASA of the Coastal Bend and started a toy drive, Nate's Next Kid Up. Now in its third year, the annual event will be held at In The Game Funtrackers in Flour Bluff Saturday.
From 3 to 6 p.m., people can donate a new toy or sports item. With the donation, attendees will receive a free one-hour game card.
Other festivities at the toy drive will include a picture with Santa Claus, a picture with The Grinch, hot cocoa, face painting and more.
"We wanted to show him that when we get the community together, we can do something big," Isabel Gonzalez said. "We ended up donating over 300 toys the first year and then over 800 last year. It's a great way to get the community together and show this 9-year-old anything is possible."
Every donation goes to CASA of the Coastal Bend, according to the communications director Diana Booth.
"When we give the children in foster care these gifts, we tell them it's not something CASA purchased," Booth said. "We tell them the community got these for them because they want them to be happy."
Booth said when Nate Gonzalez and his parents approached CASA about a toy drive, she was "mind-blown."
"Children don't usually focus on giving to others sometimes," Booth said. "It's different to hear a younger person come and say, 'I want to hold a toy drive. I want to get gifts, but not for me. I want to give them to kids who need them the most.' Of course, we welcomed him with open arms."
Since his first toy drive in 2020, Nate Gonzalez started to do other drives to collect Easter baskets and back-to-school supplies with CASA of the Coastal Bend. His mother said the family's goal for next year is to become a nonprofit to help children in more ways.
Booth said she hopes people attend the toy drive because the children in foster care need "hope and cheer."
"They are in strangers' homes," Booth said. "These kids continue to experience a terrifying cycle that never seems to end. With these donations, we can take their minds away from the constant movement of one home to another. With these donations, we can give them a sense of relief for the Christmas holiday and remind them that someone does care for them."
When asked what he wants for Christmas this year, Nate Gonzalez said he just wants everyone to be happy and have a great year.
"Everyone should be together," Nate Gonzalez said, "and everyone should feel loved."
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Nate's Next Kid Up Christmas Toy/Sports Drive
WHERE: In The Game Funtrackers at 9605 S. Padre Island Drive
WHEN: 3-6 p.m. Saturday
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Nate's Next Kid Up: Toy drive created by 9-year-old coming up
